Blasting NewsBorn between 1982 and 2001, America's 20-somethings, very frequently called the millennial generation or Generation Y, are becoming a force to be reckoned with and are now being taken seriously. The food industry knows this and understands how confident, connected and live-in-the-moment they are when it comes to making decisions on where to eat, what to eat and how much they are willing to pay for it. Quick is good, cheap is great but quality is better.
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One Green PlanetIn response to the growing demand for plant-based meats, we've seen a surge in a number of new plant-based meats developed by startups like Beyond Meat, and old staples like Tofurky taking up entire sections of the frozen food aisle. In addition to carrying more vegan meat options, some grocery stores like Trader Joe's offer their own line of vegan meat.
In addition to carrying more vegan meat options, some grocery stores like Trader Joe's offer their own line of vegan meat. Surprised? So are we! Here are more grocery chains where you'll find tons of options for plant-based meat.READ MORE

Food Dive In a deal to end a long and contentious battle over sugar, Mexico agreed to U.S. demands to make meaningful changes to terms of access to the lucrative U.S. sugar market. The pact sets the course for bigger talks on rewriting the North American Free Trade Agreement expected to start later this summer.
The wire service reported U.S. sugar producers, wanting even more concessions from Mexico, refused to endorse the agreement in principle — putting the deal on shaky ground.
The pact reached between the two countries would require Mexico to reduce the share of refined sugar it exports to the U.S. and increase raw sugar exports. It also lifts the minimum prices for Mexican imports into the U.S.READ MORE

The Associated Press via Time A crackdown on illegal immigration under President Donald Trump has driven some poor people to take a drastic step: opt out of federal food assistance because they are fearful of deportation, activists and immigrants say.
People who are not legal residents of the U.S. are not eligible to take part in what is formally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. But many poor families include a mix of nonlegal residents and legal ones, such as children who have citizenship because they were born in the U.S. In those cases, it is often an adult who is not a legal resident who submits the application.
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University of Liverpool via Medical XpressNew research conducted by the University of Liverpool and partners shows that food policies, such as fruit and vegetable subsidies, taxes on sugar sweetened drinks and mass media campaigns to change dietary habits could avert hundreds of thousands of deaths from cardiovascular disease in the United States.
Efforts to improve dietary choices through economic incentives have been successful in the past, but the impact of such changes on cardiovascular disease — the leading cause of mortality in the U.S. — has not been clear.
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Food Safety MagazineSo what's on the horizon for food traceability? Let's look at consumers, the food supply itself and technology.
First, the consumers. The consumers of the future are conscious consumers. No longer do they passively consume foods based on what's available, nor do they consume in isolation without thinking about the broader repercussions of their lifestyles. READ MORE

Food Dive After the bill mandating genetically modified organism (GMO) labeling on food and beverage products was signed into law last July, the Agriculture Department has had a lot to figure out.
The controversial law puts the responsibility of making some difficult distinctions in the hands of USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service: It's up to them to define the products that the labels will apply to, the amount of genetically modified ingredients that would require a label and what exactly the labels will look like. Ever since Barack Obama signed the law on July 28, 2016, there's been little heard about it. The law requires that final rules be in place by July 2018.
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Food Business News Ingredient trends might bring to mind a cartoon about a ghost. Surveys show many consumers seek transparency in the sourcing of ingredients and in the marketing of products, and they also seek "friendly" ingredient lists. Yet make no mistake: Consumers want "real" ingredients.
"Consumers are changing their definition of health and wellness," said John A. Bryant, chairman and CEO of The Kellogg Co., Battle Creek, Michigan, in an April 28 annual shareholders meeting.READ MORE

Food Business News From dairy-free frozen desserts to ice pops made with colors and flavors from natural sources, Unilever PLC's new array of frozen treats was designed to appeal to a variety of tastes and preferences, the company said. Unilever is launching 16 new products across five of its brands: Breyers, Good Humor, Klondike, Magnum Ice Cream and Popsicle.READ MORE

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods Bellisio Foods has added six new varieties to its EatingWell single-serve frozen entree line.
"We're excited about these additions because they bring new and interesting flavors to our already successful EatingWell product line," says Ken Stickevers, president. "Plus, our consumers asked for more gluten-free options, and we're happy to deliver that, along with an amazing vegetarian gnocchi dish that serves up 14 grams of protein."READ MORE

Food DiveA study from Aptaris and dunnhumby found 71 percent of food retailers think designing an app is necessary for successful digital grocery.
Among the most common digital investments are online recipes and a mobile-friendly website, currently offered by at least two-thirds of grocers. More than a third of food retailers presently offer additional features, such as online list building, digital coupons and digital-only promotions.
Online ordering capabilities, while found to be growing, are prevalent typically among only the largest operators today.READ MORE

Agri-View
For agricultural commodities, larger supplies generally result in lower prices. This year's hog market is going against that adage with both larger supplies and higher prices.
Before we conclude that something is wrong, remember that prices are determined by both supply and demand factors. A closer look at both factors explains why the hog market is being rational with larger supplies and higher prices.
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